There are some new(?) 1/18th scale models of some of the pre-war Mercedes and Auto-Union racing cars on the market. They are expensive (especially in Canadian dollars!), and I'm interested in any opinions out there. You can use the Casio models that require assembly as a yard-stick.

What a co-incidence that OT has begun this thread on the very day I had decided to post one along similar lines - or should it be tracks?

I am getting quite close to completing my 4-car Mercedes Benz W.196 (open-wheeler) F1 team for my new Pre-historic slot race series.

In the back of my mind, I have an idea that Mercedes ran at the 1955 British Grand Prix with BLACK numbers, although they had red ones everywhere else. Am I right? And if so, was it connected with the Le Mans accident? But if it was, why did they have red ones at Zandvoort?

I know this is technically a Racing Simulators Forum question, but this seems like a suitable thread to put it on.

More than likely it was RAC regulations... In Australia, for years (and probably still) the CAMS rules (modeled off RAC rules) stipulated type of numbering, size and all.

An example: "In form the number shall be of the sans serif type, each figure being at least 28cm in height, and the width of the line in each figure being at least 4cm."

Of course, this applies to F1 cars at Albert Park....[p][smallfont][Edited by Ray Bell on 01-05-2001][/smallfont]

They certainly did run black numbers, but I don;t think it could have been the race regulations. Some cars had white numbers; and Germany's national colours were white (not silver!) with black numbers.

Yes, our rules cover that... white numbers on a dark background, black on a white background.

Sorry. I should have said red numbers!! Made a complete nonsense of what I was trying to say.

Guys, red numbers or black, do the new models capture the prescence of the originals?

Not that I don't drag red herrings across the paths of threads, not that I don't enjoy the erudition, but I'd like to know about the damn models.

would that be a light red or more towards crimson?;)

I considered that the regs. may have demanded it, but at Silverstone in '54 the Mercs had red ones (numbers!).

Rename that "The Digression Forum"...

Barry

I am thinking of resurrecting my interest in slot cars with a pre war bias. (my current collection is 1961 - 1967)

Do you have any details on availability of 1/32 bodies / kits of the 1937 - 1939 era?

David, you disappointed me, I thought I was going to get some information when the thread came back! Both retailers that I have contacted seem incapable of providing any more information than they post in their web sites, presumably from the printing on the boxes. Duh!

Old Timer

Sorry

I will start to check it out myself - if I find anything I will let you know

sorry guys...best i can do is to quote from "appendices to the international sporting code"[a.i.a.c.r.]1930

annexe 1;couleurs nationales distinctives a attribuer aux vehicules qui prennent part a des manifestations sportives internationales
pays;allemagne
coulers du vehicule; blanc
coulers des numeros; rouges

seems the numbers should be red....but then again the cars themselves should be white...i've heard all the stories as to why the "arrows" became silver....what i have not heard is just how they got away with it.

Sorry to resurrect this thread and to take it off topic again.

Regarding the colours of Mercedes' racing numbers; I've just seen a colour film of the 1954 British Grand Prix where the W196s also had black numbers. This suggests that the use of Black numbers in 1955 was nothing to do with the Le Mans disaster.

Yes, Roger, come to think of it, I've seen that film too.

I suspect the answer to my question is to do with the organisers of the race. I suspect there may have been some regulation that said 'numbers must be either white or black on white'. It's too much of a co-incidence that the only time Mercedes seem to have used black numbers was in Britain.

Well, tell that to CMC, the model manufacturer in question, because they have put red on white numerals on their limited edition of SM's Aintree car!

I broke down and got the W154, since my former company wanted to give me a retirement gift. If anyone is interested in putting the thread back on topic, I can give a very subjective appraisal.

Just checked; CMC have a SM model, no.6, but the retailer web-site does not say that it is the Aintree car. Case not proven! To let the thread stay off topic, which races did Moss have no.6 during the 1955 season?

Moss's Mercedes was wearing #6 in the Argentinian, Buenos Aires and European -Monaco- GP's, while at Aintree Stirling's car was the #10.

1/32 scale slot cars, a long time ago
67? i had a 1939 MB car [scaleltric?]
that was a well done hard plastic body.
but was 4 wheel drive with motor driving
both ends, front had uni-joint & steering.
weird slow tipy car.

To keep this thread in the way it's heading (OT ;)), didn't someone recently post a colour picture of streamlined Mercedes with black no. 16? It must've been recent photo from some exibition or museum, if I'm not very mistaken...

Maybe the Fangio museum?

These cars have taken nearly as long to build as the real ones!
Anyway, here is my home-made slot-race team of Mercedes-Benz W.196s.




People say that my cars look better 'in the plastic', rather than in images. I tend to agree.

Barry, your models look absolutely fantastic!
Now all we need is some 'action' shots!

Can you point me to a website that shows these "new" models? Thanks

Ah Barry, so your numbers are red?

Really nice cars!!!! And I go with Gary here, show us some action shots, preferably Moss outbraking Fangio at the Station hairpin!!!!

Sorry, fines, that was in the short wheelbase model...

Chrisj, welcome to a fascinating arena! The models are new and produced by CMC. Pictures can be seen at www.sportcraftcars.com. If you are interested in an opinion of the W154 Mercedes, PM me.

Why isn't the web site showing as a link?

Ha, the link does show:)

Barry, that's a very impressive line up.

Course, if you made a lineup of 4 Vanwalls, that would look even more impressive.

As the series of slot-cars I am building including the Mercs is based around 1954-5-6, I'm afraid there won't be 4 Vanwalls. (There never WERE 4 Vanwalls, were there) But there will be 2 of them; plus 3 Lancias, 4 250F's, 4 Super Squalo Ferraris, 2 BRM's and assorted Connaughts, Gordinis, older Ferraris, oh yes, and a Bugatti!

Red numbers? Yes, Michael, I settled on red as Mercedes used red more than black during 54-55.

Hi oldtimer, your link shows, but unfortunately it doesn't seem to be working. I get a "page not found" error.

Regards

Neil

Ah, the mysteries of the 'net'. If I click on the link, I don't connect, but if I type it in, I do.

Barry, the Vanwall team often took 4 cars to fixtures, even though they only entered three. The team seemed to like to line them all up. The cover of the Jenkinson and Posthumus book has them beautifully lined up at Aintree in 1957.

I'm sure there are four in my photo from Goodwood a couple of years ago...